


Nightmares

by Thatoneloser_kid



Series: Cartinelli Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:33:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatoneloser_kid/pseuds/Thatoneloser_kid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy has a nightmare and goes to Angie for comfort. (Talks about PTSD, which was known as 'combat exhaustion' in the 40's)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares

Peggy ducked behind one of the partially demolished walls, flinching as the sound of a bullet whizzing by her ear, close enough that she could feel the air dispersed by the object hit the side of her face. 

She tried to calm her erratic heartbeat as her finger twitched on the trigger of the Tommy gun she was holding. She steadied herself before standing up straight again, levelling her gun and shooting blindly. 

Suddenly, she wasn’t on a battlefield in France she was in New York City, in the Automat diner to be precise, and she wasn’t shooting at Nazis anymore she had shot… Angie. 

The gun dropped from Peggy’s hand as she rushed forward, catching Angie as she fell forward. 

"Angie?" Peggy’s shaking hands came up to press against one of the wounds but there were still two holes in Angie’s chest and not matter how hard Peggy tried she just couldn’t stop the bleeding. "Angie, I’m so sorry. You weren’t- you shouldn’t be here."

"Peggy," Angie murmured weakly, nodding her head to the side. 

Peggy looked up only to have a gun shoved in her face and then there was a loud bang accompanied by a bright flash of white. 

Peggy shot up in bed, breathing heavily and sweat trickling down her back. She was out of bed before she could even really think about it, stumbling out the door and over to Angie’s, knocking probably a little louder than necessary. 

After a few knocks the door swung open to reveal a very angry looking Angie but the look of anger was instantly replaced with a look of worry at how fearful her friend looked. 

"Peggy? Is everythin’ ok?" Angie asked, sounding concerned, as she pulled Peggy into her apartment. Peggy didn’t answer, she just stared, like she was in some sort of daze, down at Angie’s torso. "Peggy!"

Peggy startled back into consciousness, her eyes springing up to Angie’s. “I’m sorry. I shot you but I didn’t mean to, you weren’t supposed to _be_ there!”

"Hey," Angie whispered calmingly, her hands coming up to cup Peggy’s cheeks. "English, you need to breath for me, ok? I think you’re havin’ a panic attack."

Peggy honestly hadn’t even realised her breathing was erratic until that moment. “I didn’t- I wouldn’t do that.”

"Sh, I know, Sugar." Angie muttered, wrapping her arms around a quivering Peggy. Something about this seemed wrong, she would never expect Peggy Carter to just break down into a panic attack in her arms. "Did somethin’ happen to you, Peggy? Did someone hurt you?"

Peggy shook her head quickly and muttered. “You,”

"Someone hurt me?" Angie frowned and Peggy nodded. "Who?"

"Me."

"Whatever you think you have done I can assure you you haven’t hurt me, Peg."

"I shot you," Peggy snapped, pulling back to look at Angie. "I was dreaming and I- I shot you but I wasn’t shooting at you I was shooting… Nazis. But then it was you dying and…"

"Peg," Angie interrupted, not liking the way Peggy’s eyes had clouded over. "Honey, I think- I think you might be sufferin’ from combat exhaustion." 

Peggy shook her head violently, “No. No, I’m not, ok? I’m fine.”

"Peggy, you came over to my apartment in the middle of the night and apologised for shooting me. You are frantic, you were having a panic attack, you look _frightened_.”

"I’m fine." Peggy repeated, moving to walk past Angie but stopped when there was a soft hand gentle gripping her wrist. 

"You are the bravest, strongest, most courageous not only woman but person I have ever met but you aren’t indestructible." Angie cautiously let go of Peggy’s arm, thankful that the woman didn’t take the first chance she got to bolt straight out of there. "You went through somethin’ horrific, you don’t walk away from that without some kind of emotional scars."

Angie slid her hand up Peggy’s arm as a way of comforting the woman. 

"You need help, Peggy."

Peggy swallowed the lump in her throat, turning to look at Angie with water eyes. “I’m not ok. Every night I dream that I’m back there, and it feels so real, the wind carrying the smell of blood and lead right at you and the sound of people being shot and crying out in pain, the sounds of bullet narrowly missing you.”

"It’s ok not to be ok." Angie assured, using her knuckle to wipe away a tear that slid down Peggy’s cheek. "The war is over, there is no more guns shots and death."

"This was the first one with you. I just had to make sure you were ok because I’ve heard of men shooting down their wives because they thought they were back on the front line, I was afraid I had really hurt you."

"Tell me more about what’s been happenin’ to you?" Angie requested softly, her hand sliding down Peggy’s arm to gently squeeze we hand. 

"I just, I feel like I’m stuck in this timeline where the past is pulling me in one direction and the present is pulling me in the opposite direction. It can come out of nowhere, the fear, the imagines, the noises, sometimes it’s gets so bad that I feel like I can’t breath and I have no idea where I am." Peggy could see the tears shinning in Angie’s eyes just like they were building up on her own, her lip quivering as she shook her head. "I’m scared."

"Peggy, I don’t," Angie sniffed, tears leaking from her eyes when she blinked. She wrapped her arms tightly around Peggy’s neck. "I don’t know how to help."

"I don’t either." Peggy hide her face in Angie’s neck and muttered, like she was ashamed to admit it, "I’m so scared because sometimes I just can’t breath and I’m shaking so badly, I am so ashamed and angry at myself for letting myself get in such a state but the stupidest part is that sometimes I don’t want to look up or open my eyes for fear of what might be there."

"You have nothin’ to be ashamed of." Angie assured, pulling back to look at Peggy, her hands moving to Peggy’s cheeks as she leant her forehead against hers. "You fought for your country, well, this country. That was incredible brave."

"I thought because they were the enemy it wouldn’t make a difference but _they_ weren’t the enemy, not really, Hitler was, those people were just doing a job.” Peggy huffed frustratedly.

"Just like you were doin’. I know this doesn’t help but it was either you or them, Peggy."

"I know but that doesn’t make it right for me to take someone’s life like that. I mean, what makes my life worth more then theirs."

"You fought for your life. You were the good guys."

"But to them they were on the good side."

Angie bit down on her bottom lip, her thumb drawing small circles on Peggy’s jaw. “My brother was in the war, my pa had to send him for counsellin’ because the same thing was happenin’ to him but it got so bad that he just wasn’t himself anymore. Before the war he was this gentle, if slightly misguided, man but after,” Angie paused, shaking her head slightly. “After he was angry and withdrawn and violent. I can get the name and number of the fella from my pa and we can stop by.”

"You’ll come with me?"

"For as long as you want me to, yeah." Angie promised, pushing herself up onto her toes to plant a kiss on Peggy’s forehead. 

Peggy closed her eyes and sighed. 

"Do you think you could go back to sleep?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I will let you sleep."

Angie didn’t let Peggy go when she attempted to move back. “No, that’s not what I meant, Peg. Stay here, maybe having company will help you relax.” 

"I don’t- what if I have a dream again and I do hurt you this time?"

"I don’t believe you would ever hurt me." Angie said and Peggy could see she truly believe that, Peggy wasn’t sure is Angie was too trusting or naive.

"Ok, but if I feel like I might hurt you, even for a second, I’m going back to my room."

"Of course." Angie agreed, stepping out of Peggy’s personal space and motioning to the bed. "Ladies first."

Peggy let out a watery chuckle, rolling her eyes at Angie as she padded over to the bed, climbing under the covers.

"You are ridiculously brave, Peggy Carter." Angie said once she was under the covers, clasping her hands under her head as she stared over at Peggy. "Not just for fightin’ in the war but for makin’ it this far and agreein’ to get help."

"Thank you, Angie."

Angie smiled and gave Peggy a little nod, hesitating slightly before leaning forward and kissing Peggy’s forehead. “Night, English.”

"Good night, Angie."


End file.
